Mini Tacos

This meal was created by my lovely daughter, Lauren, and inspired by a recipe that she made with my sister.  It is not gluten or dairy free, but could be easily made that way.  I was not able to eat these, but was told they were delicious.  Instead, I used the same ingredients to have my Super Taco Salad.

Ingredients

24 Wonton wrappers

1lb of All-Natural Lean Ground Beef

1 can of Organic Black Beans

Fresh, Diced Tomatoes

Shredded Cheese

Easy Guacamole

Sliced Black Olives

Salsa

Coconut Oil

Taco Seasoning and Garlic Powder

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Insert the wontons into a oiled muffin pans.

Brown the ground beef.  Add Taco Seasoning and Garlic Powder to taste.

Add the beans to the browned beef and cook a few more minutes.

Fill each wonton with a spoonful of the beef & bean mixture.

Top with cheese and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove the mini tacos from the muffin pan.

Top with olives, salsa, guacamole.

Enjoy!

To make this cow's milk dairy free, I would use Trader Joe's Goat Cheddar.  You also may want to try rice papers instead of the wontons to go gluten free.



Pad Thai

Pad Thai has long been a family favorite at the Jolly house, however, it has been difficult to duplicate the taste of a quality Thai restaurant.  The most difficult part to this recipe is finding the ingredients for the sauce and cooking the noodles just right.  Kroger now carries many of these items, and the rest you can find at an Asian grocery. The pre-made sauce that you can find at the grocery store was never quite right.  Great Pad Thai should be light, fresh and have a balanced flavor.  This recipe is also free of gluten and dairy!

Ingredients

2 Eggs

Ground Pepper

4 cloves of minced Garlic

2 Green Onions - Diced

4 tbs of Tamarind Paste (or White Vinegar)

4 tsp Fish Sauce

Ground Chili Pepper

1 Lime

1 Package of Thai Rice Noodles

Coconut Oil

2 cups Bean Sprouts

1/4 cup of chopped dry-roasted cashews

1/2 pound of cooked, peeled and deveined Shrimp

1/2 pound of cooked chicken cut into bite size pieces

Preparation

Cook the Shrimp and Chicken and set aside.

Fill a large pot with hot water (not boiling) and let the noodles soak for 10 minutes.  When ready for the skillet the noodles should be flexible and not soft.  They also should not have expanded.

Mince the garlic, Dice the onions, chop the cashews and set aside.

Using a wok or a large skillet brown the green onions and garlic on Medium High.

Drain the noodles and add them to the skillet.  Continue to stir to keep from sticking.

Add tamarind, fish sauce, and chili pepper.

Push the noodles to the side and crack the eggs in the skillet.  Scramble until almost cooked and the fold the eggs into the noodles. 

Taste one of the noodles. If the noodles are not yet soft add a little water and continue cooking.

When the noodles are ready, add the Shrimp, Chicken, Bean Sprouts and Cashews. 

Stir everything together a few times.  The noodles should be soft, dry and very tangled.

Serve and Enjoy!

French Onion Dip - Cow's Milk Dairy Free

It was Independence Day and we were enjoying a cookout with the family.  My children love potato chips, but I rarely buy them.  Since I usually reserve cheat times for holidays and Saturday nights; I thought it would be fun to have some chips and dip. I was enjoying some Wavy Chips, watching the family dig into the dip and really wishing that I did not have an allergy to cow's milk dairy.  It's not lactose intolerance, but the kind of allergy that leaves fire-burning eczema on the soft areas of my arms and neck for weeks. 

All of a sudden it occurred to me that I might be able to enjoy some dip, if I had the right ingredients on hand.  I have always thought that plain, goat milk yogurt tastes somewhat like sour cream.  In an act of desperation, I quickly mixed together a few scoops of yogurt and some dry soup mix. It was really good, and somewhat difficult to tell the difference from real sour cream.  This little experiment made my day and helped me grow one step closer to independence from cow's milk dairy.  How fitting!

Quick Brisket Tacos

This recipe is for those days when you want something healthy and really do not have time to cook. The tacos are super easy to prepare, and you can go from start to finish in less than 30 minutes. If you are not a brisket fan substitute pulled pork, turkey or chicken.  If you do not have a Trader Joe's in you neighborhood, these ingredients can be found at most grocery stores.  This recipe is wheat/dairy free, and it is best with fresh guacamole and veggies.

Ingredients

1 package of Trader Joe's Pulled Beef Brisket

1 can of Organic Black Beans

1 package of Taco Shells

Fresh Spinach

Sliced Tomatoes

Guacamole

Diced Green Onion

Preparation

1. Drain black beans and heat with Brisket in a sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Slice the tomatoes and dice the green onions.
3. Prepare the Guacamole.  Click on the link for easy instructions.
4. Heat the taco shells in the oven at 350 degrees for 3 minutes. 
5. Assemble and Enjoy!